Diverter valve



March 3, 1942. c. GROEN DIVERTER VALVE Filed Dec. 11,*'1940 s c vPatented Mar. 3, 1942 DIVERTER VALVE Christopher Groen, Gals Park, Ell.,assignor to A. Y. McDonald Mfg. Co., Dubuque, Iowa, a

corporation of Iowa Application December ll, 1940, Serial No.'369,523

4 Claims.

My invention relates to a diverter valve of a semi-automatic type foruse/with a combined tub and shower bath. It has particular reference toa valve having hot and cold water connections, the hot `and cold waterbeing mixed when both supply pip-es are open, and in which the normal owof water is to the tub. After the desired temperature of the water isobtained by the adjustment of the valves, theflow of water can beshifted to the shower by the manual manipulation of an inner valve bythe user. When the valves controlling the flow of Water are closed, theinner valve automatically returns to its original position, so that whenthe water-controlling valves are subsequently opened the flow will be tothe tub without any attention or manipulation on the part ofthe user.

Another and further object of my invention is the provision of adiverter valve in which the ow of water from the tub to the shower canbe easily and quickly accomplished by the used by a push exerted upon astem, thus moving a springcontrolled valve in the main valve into suchposition that the flow of water to the tub is shut ofi' and the waterdiverted to the shower.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a diverter valvewhich is substantially incapable of use in such manner that hot waterwill initially be directed into the shower, thus l avoiding the flow ofwaterto the shower in an accidental mann-er and eliminating danger ofaccident or injury to the user by hot water flowing from the showernozzle.

Another and further object is the provision of a diverter valve in whichwater Iwhich may accidentally leak into the outlet pipe leading from thevalve to the shower, is directed into the tub, thereby avoiding poundingor knocking of the valve controlling the flow of water therethrough, andalso avoiding any possible build-up of water in the pipes leading to theshower head which might cause injury to the user. For instance, hotwater leaking past the supply valve and into the shower head might beforced therefrom when the user manipulat the valve to operate theshower, so that the first water therefrom might be scalding hot. Becauseof the particular construction of the valve, this water is allowed toflow into the tub so that injury or accident is thus avoided.

These and other objects will be better and l'fnore fully understood byreference to the accompanying sheet of drawings, and in which- Figure 1is a vertical, sectional view of my irn- 7 proved valve and connections,showing its installation for use in a bath tub; and

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the valve and its variousconnecting parts to which the water supply pipes are connected.

Referring specically to the drawing and in which like referencecharacters refer to like parts throughout, a valve body Ill is shownhaving the usual integral projecting portions I2, I3 and It, to whichwater supply pipes I5 and I 6 are connected in the usual manner, one ofthese pipes leading to a source of hot water 'and the other to a sourceof cold water. A short nipple l1 is provided which is connected to thevalve body l0 at one of its ends, and to which an elbow I8 is secured atits lower end. Another nipple I9 is connected to the elbow I8 and to thebase member 20 of an over-rim tub spout 2|, with the nippl-e I9extending through an opening-in the usual bathroom wall 22. A longerpipe section 23 is connected to the extension I2 on the valve body wandextends upward therefrom, with an elbow 2t at the upper end which inturn is connected to a shower tube 25 extending through an opening inthe wall 22. A shower head 26 of the usual form is provided on the endof the tube 25 and is adapted to extend over the usual the valve body I0and extend parallel with theA longitudinal axis of the valve 3|. Thevalve 3| has a longitudinal recess 33 therein within which a springI 34is mounted, the spring 34 being seated at one of its ends in a recess 35formed in the outer wall of the valve member I0, and extends through aport 36 formed in an inner wall 3l of thevalve body I0. A seat is formedon the wall 31 around the port 36 against which the valve 3| seats whenit is in the shower-operating position. l

A stem 38 having a push button 39 on the outer end thereof is mountedina casing 40, which abuts against the wall 22. A gland member 4| istted into the outer end of the center piece 2l. A washer 42 is mountedon the inner end of the stem 38, with a web 43 being provided across theinner end of the center piece 21. A spring 44 is mounted on the stem 38between the web 43 and washer 42 so that the stem is normally held inthe outer position as shown in Figure 1 of the drawing. The inner end ofthe stem 38 is adapted to engage against an abutment 45 formed on valvemember 3|, so that an inward push on the stem 38 pushes the Valve 3|rearward against the seat in a vertical wall 31. A rubber washer B6 isfitted around the stem 38 between the inner end of the gland dl and thewasher 42, so that water is prevented from iiowing outward around thestem 38. The inner end of the center piece 21 has ports 41, 41 formedtherein through which the water iiows on its way to the shower head,with a port 49 being provided leading to a drain plug 50 secured totheinner portion of the valve body Ill having an outlet opening 5I thereinthrough which the water is discharged into the nipple I1.

In operation, the device is exceedingly simple and semi-automatic inthat the attention of the operator is necessary only when the water isdiverted from the tub into the shower. The normal position of the valve3l is shown in Figure 1 of the drawing, in which position the watersupplied to the tub enters the valve body I from the supply pipes I andI6, passes into the ch'amber 32; out through the port 36 into a chamberin the valve body which leads to the nipple I1, and into the tub throughthe over-rim spout 2|. When the user wishes to operate the shower, hefirst regulates the ow of water to the proper temperature desired, andthen pushes the stem 38 inward by pressure on the button 39. This movesthe valve 3| rearward lso the port 36 is closed and the port 30 isopened, so that the water ows therethrough' into the center piece 21,out through the ports 41 in one end of the center piece, and into thechamber in the valve body communicating with the pipe 23 which conveysthe water to theshower head. Th'e pressure of the water overcomes theforce of the spring 34 as long as the water under pressure ilows throughthe port 30, and holds the valve 3| against the rear wall of the chamber32 so that the flow of water to the tub is prevented as long as thewater is flowing through the valve body, thereby insuring continuousoperation of the shower. Upon the valve 3| being shifted to showerposition, the user removes the pressure upon thestem 38 which isimmediately returned to the position shown in Figure 1 of the drawingand out of engagement with the valve 3|. A small leakage will occur fromthe chamber, through the ports 49 and through the bore 5| in the plug50. This dow is so small, however, as to be immaterial in the properfunctioning of the apparatus.

When the operator has nished with the shower, he closes the valves inthe pipes I5 and I6 in a normal manner thus shutting oi the ow of 'waterto the chamber 32. As soon as the presintentional act upon the part ofthe user.

OneAof the main differences in construction and operation of my improvedvalve over other types now in useis that the manually-controlled pushrod 38 is controlled by the user and water pressure.

by the return spring 44, so that immediately after the shifting of thevalve 3| to the shower position by force exerted upon th'e push rod 38,the push rod 38 is immediately returned to its most outward position asshown in Figure 1, by the spring 44. 'I'he valve 3l is then independentof the push rod or other manual control means and is responsive only toand controlled by the Upon closing of the water control valves in pipesI5 and I6, the control spring 34 has only to overcome the frictionbetween the valve 3| and chamber housing I0 in order th'at the valve 3|be returned to the tub position as shown in Figure 1. In other words,the valve spring 34 does not have to overcome the packing frictionaround the push rod 38, as is common in other constructions now in use.The spring 34 may be made of such strength that it is responsive tovarying water pressures so that if during the operation of the showereither the cold or hot water now is stopped or reduced in volume, thewater flow to the shower would automatically be diverted to the tub,thus avoiding either shock will be no build-upof pressure in eith'erthe' chamber or valves or the connecting pipes leading to the showerhead. Pounding or chattering of the valve is thus prevented due to theinability of the water to form in these spaces to cause back pressure,and the projection from the shower head of cold water which may collectin the pipe after use of the shower is discontinued, is also eliminated.It further aords means for draining water from the chamber and pipeafter the water to the shower head is shut off, so that a column ofwater ofttimes standing in the vertical shower pipes ls allowed to drainaway, eliminating an initial projection of cold water onto the user whenthe shower is initially used.

While I have desoribedzrnore or less precisely the details ofconstruction, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto,as I contemplate changes in form and the proportion of parts and thesubstitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest or renderexpedient without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

I claim:

l. A diverter valve comprising, in combination, a valve body having aplurality of ywater inlets and a plurality of water outlets, one adaptedfor connection to a shower head and another adapted for connection to atub spout, and having a central chamber with ports communicating witheach of said outlets, a valve in said chamber operable to alternatelyopen and close the said ports, spring means normally holding the saidvalve in closed position with respect to one of said ports, a push roddisconnected from said valve adapted to `engage the said valve wherebythe valve is moved away from the normally closed port and intoengagement with the normally openport, `the valve having an area exposedto water pressure whereby it is held in said position by the .ow ofwater through the valve body, and a drain plug extending into theopening of the valve body leading to the tub and in aspiratingrelationship to the ilow of water through said opening, the valve bodyhaving a drain opening therein leading from the chamber in said valvecommunicating the shower outlet with said drain plus. v

2. A diverter valve comprising in combination, a valve body having aplurality of water inlets and a plurality of water outlets and having acentral chamber with ports communicating with the said outlets. a valvein said chamber operable to alternately open and close the said outletports, a spring in the valve body engaging the valve and normallyadapted to hold the valve in closed position with respect to one of saidoutlet ports, a push rod disconnected from said valve and manuallyoperable whereby the said valve is displaced to open one of said outletports and to close the other, and means whereby the said push rod isautomatically restored to its normal posi# tion when pressure thereonlis released, the valve when displaced from its normal position having anarea exposed to water pressure whereby it is held in displacedpositionby the flow of water through the valve body.

3. A diverter valve comprising in combination, a valve body having aplurality of water inlets and a plurality of water outlets and having acentral chamber with ports communicating with the said outlets, a valvein said chamber operable to alternately open and close the said outletports, a spring in the valve body engaging the valve and normallyadapted to hold the valve in closed position with respect to one -oisaid outlet ports, a push rod disconnected from said valve and manuallyoperable wherebyvthe said valve is displaced to open one of said outletports and to close the other, and a spring normally. exerting pressureon said push rod tending to force the Y push rod away from said valvelthe valve when displaced from its normal position having an areav lexposed to water pressure whereby it is held in displaced position bythe flow of water through the valve body.

4. vA diverter valve comprising' in combination,

a valve body having a plurality ot water inlets and a plurality of wateroutlets and having a central chamber with ports communicating with thesaid outlets, a valve in said chamber operable to alternately open andclose the said outlet ports, a spring in the valve body engaging the4valve and normally adapted to hold the valve in closed position withrespect to one of said outlet ports, a push rod disconnected from saidvalve and manually operable whereby the said valve is displaced to openone of said outlet ports and toclose the other, and a spring mountedonsaid pu'sh rod whereby the said push rod is returned to its normalposition when force exerted thereon CHRISTOPHER GROEN;

